Open Transom For Instant Cockpit Drainage

The Outbound 46 was one of the early cruising yacht designs to have an open transom. One of the reasons for this feature was so that water could quickly drain out of the cockpit if needed. Many cruising vessels rely on large cockpit drains to to evacuate the cockpit of water in the case of a pooping or a quartering wave that fills the cockpit. While this is a rare event, having a cockpit that immediately drains aft makes the cockpit not only safer, but also keeps water from possibly entering the interior of the boat.

The 46 was designed and built with this in mind and reflections of the Outbound 46 can be seen throughout the designs of all Outbound models. The 5360 also uses an open transom to ensure more cockpit safety. The 521, being a center cockpit, does not have an open cockpit, but does utilize a cockpit well to better drain water.